Final Journey – Day One – Oct 19, 2013

Can’t believe the day is finally here. Starting the final leg from Dick’s Creek Gap, GA to Springer Mountain, GA (65 miles).Boarded the 6:00 a.m. bus to Boston from Portland to begin the long ride before the walk.

I really began packing in ernest last night, which brought its own set of issues. First, I could not find my trusty journal pouch, I’ve been traveling with it for more than 20 years on this trip. It’s the perfect size for carrying my journal, two pencils and train tix. I scoured the house several times and finally deduced that I left it in town at my office. At least that’s the hope. Of most importance, my last trip’s journal is in there. Arrrrgggg. The whole issue has me still in a state.

I made one last search of the house this morning, which included looking in all the same places I looked last night. Surprise, no luck.

Now, one smoked salmon and cream cheese on whole wheat toast sandwich and cup of coffee later, I am beginning to feel better.

The wheels of the bus are rolling beneath me. The trip is underway. I thought I’d be sleeping by now, but too excited to honor that request by the body. Five nights in a row of 4 hours or less of sleep. Pretty sure I will be making up for that soon.

…or not. Grabbed a 24 oz. hazelnut coffee at the South Station Dunkin D’s. It’s now 8:42 a.m., and this train has left the station!

Arrived in NYC right on time. Wayne was waiting upstairs at Kabooz, where he was finishing off an order of chicken wings. I sat next to him at the bar and ordered a round of wings as well.

Made the expected to be full train to Taccoa, Georgia and grabbed seats as close to the back of the car as we could – prime position for stowing packs in the back and keeping watch over them simultaneously.

Archives

Book Reviews

…one of the more enjoyable reads…

This is, quite simply, one of the more enjoyable reads I've had in quite some time. I'm not much of...

5.0

2015-01-05T16:22:35+00:00

This is, quite simply, one of the more enjoyable reads I've had in quite some time. I'm not much of a hiker myself, so I was grateful that the author didn't get lost in the minutiae of camping gear and such, and kept this very much accessible for the general reader. I was really happy to see that the author also took advantage of the medium, and had lots of interesting video clips, photos, maps and historical sidebars, which really helped to bring you along on the journey and give you a sense of time and place. Given the subject matter, I can't help but compare this to Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods", in that the reader is drawn to the inner journey that these hikers are on over time, as much as the outward journey through the mountains. "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat Moon would be another example of the same concept. That, to me, is always the mark of any great travel book, and what makes this book stand out for the general reader. I found this to be very well written, with plenty of laugh out loud moments as I read this in bed at night (much to the chagrin of my trying-to-get-to-sleep wife), and I very much look forward to diving into the future volumes as they are released. ~ Charles Carbonneau (review from Goodreads.com)

http://feedthevision.com/testimonials/carbonneau/

…it drew me in…

I read this book at a friend’s suggestion and was surprised at how it drew me in even though I’m...

5.0

2015-01-05T16:30:11+00:00

I read this book at a friend’s suggestion and was surprised at how it drew me in even though I’m not a hiker. Ryan demystifies undertaking such a feat, and frankly inspired me to get outdoors. This is storytelling at its best. Somehow he makes it seem like walking 2,100 miles over a 28 year period with a 75-pound pack is doable. One would think that seeing pictures and video of some of the most beautiful places on earth would just be cool, but I am inspired to see some of these places first hand. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a great story, but also to anyone who could use a shot of inspiration in perseverance toward a long-term goal. ~ Myra Osgood (review from Goodreads.com)

http://feedthevision.com/testimonials/drew/

5.0

2

"Dreams begin when the winds of happenstance blow a gust across the path of your life."